A recent dataset from Tenth Revolution Group highlights the ongoing gender disparity in tech leadership positions within NASDAQ-100 companies.
Despite years of advocacy for gender equality, women continue to be significantly underrepresented at the top levels of technology leadership.
The data reveals that between 2021 and 2024, women held an average of just 15 percent of CIO and CTO roles across NASDAQ-100 firms, compared to 85 percent for men.
The situation has shown little improvement over the four-year period: after a slight increase to 17 percent in 2022, the proportion of women in these roles returned to 14 percent in 2024, the same percentage seen in 2021.
NASDAQ-100 Tech Leadership Gender Breakdown (2021-2024):
| Year | Men | Women |
| 2021 | 86% | 14% |
| 2022 | 83% | 17% |
| 2023 | 86% | 14% |
| 2024 | 86% | 14% |
| Avg | 85% | 15% |
Further underscoring the gender gap is the significant difference in tenure between men and women in these roles. On average, women in CIO and CTO positions held their roles for only 1.5 years, compared to 4.3 years for their male counterparts. This tenure disparity raises concerns about the systemic challenges that women face in sustaining long-term leadership positions, with burnout and lack of advancement opportunities cited as major issues.
Tenth Revolution Group Chairman and CEO, James Lloyd-Townshend, emphasised the alarming stagnation in progress: “There’s been so much good work in terms of research and advocacy around gender inequality in tech over the past decade, but this new data on the balance at leadership level amongst some of the biggest and most influential companies is really very stark. Women making up only 14 percent of tech leaders in 2024 just isn’t right.”
NASDAQ-100 Tech Leadership Average Tenure (Years):
| Year | Men | Women |
| 2021 | 3.7 | 1.4 |
| 2022 | 4.2 | 1.0 |
| 2023 | 4.3 | 1.6 |
| 2024 | 4.8 | 1.9 |
| Avg | 4.3 | 1.5 |
The research also sheds light on a broader issue within the tech industry: the lack of a consistent upward trend towards gender parity. Notably, none of the NASDAQ-100 companies surveyed had any non-binary tech leaders at the board level, signaling a need for greater inclusivity across gender lines.
Tenth Revolution Group President, Zoë Morris, stressed the importance of not only increasing the number of women in tech but also ensuring that they have the necessary support to thrive in leadership positions. “We need to create the conditions to support women to stay in tech and become our next generation of leaders,” Morris said. “More than ever, we need to ensure progression pathways are clear and that both hiring and promotional decisions are taken equitably.”
Morris also pointed to the connection between high burnout rates and shorter tenures for women in tech leadership roles. A 2023 study by Tenth Revolution Group found that 46 percent of women in tech had experienced burnout, highlighting the need for sustainable practices to promote long-term success.
As tech companies and advocates continue to push for greater diversity, these new findings underscore the urgency of addressing persistent barriers to gender equality at the highest levels of leadership. The data suggests that while the conversation around gender disparity is evolving, much work remains to be done to achieve lasting change.
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
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